Audiological Assessment for Tinnitus

Comprehensive clinical assessment of tinnitus is foundation for getting a wholistic understanding about patients’ tinnitus and planning a good management. Considering hearing loss is most commonly associated with tinnitus, hearing assessment should be integral part of tinnitus assessment battery. Along with comprehensive audiological assessment, it is also significant for the patient to undergo ENT evaluation to assess the presence and extent of medical involvement, and if needed, additional referrals should be arranged. This chapter focuses on the audiological assessment battery recommended for patients with tinnitus, such as detailed case history, otoscopy, pure tone audiometry, high-frequency audiometry, loudness discomfort level, speech audiometry, psychoacoustic measurement of tinnitus (pitch, loudness, minimum masking, residual inhibition) tympanometry and acoustic reflex testing, otoacoustic emissions, auditory brainstem response audiometry, and research assessments. Towards the end of this chapter, we have outlined a case study to supplement the clinical understanding.